I don’t think there’s any question – this was the highlight of the class warfare battles so far.  It didn’t need to be rescued by the deeper themes of the series (though those were certainly present) because the match itself was enough to carry the narrative.  It was an interesting group of combatants on both sides, and much more evenly matched than one might have expected on paper.  A draw may be like kissing your sister, but based on the matchups it feels like a win for 1-B.

There was a lot of good stuff to call out here, but I like the fact that everyone on both teams had an opportunity to seriously contribute (though Spiral less so than the others).  Basically this ended up as more or less a series of one-on-one battles, with Mudman and Ingenium floating as free agents.  There was a definite theme here, which is that strategic retreat is an honorable option in any fight.  And it’s because Class 1-B understood that they were able to snatch a draw – both Juuzo and Pony employed the tactic to great effect.

In point of fact Spiral was very close to taking out Ojiro before Iida swept in and does what his quirk is ideally suited to do – rescue someone.  In the process he sweeps Spiral off to jail, giving 1-A the lead.  Mudman, realizing he’s no match for this Ingenium in a pitched battle, withdraws in order to be of help to his teammates – a crucial decision that will pay big dividends later.  Pony, meanwhile (I’m not sure whether Aoi Yuki’s Japanese or English accent is more hilariously awful), is able to use four of her horns to carry herself and Ojiro to the 1-A jail, thus leveling the score.

No question the headline battle here is exactly what you’d expect, Shouto vs. Tetsutetsu.  Real Steel is further proof that in this mythology the personality usually drives the quirk.  He’s hard-headed, stubborn, direct, and fearless.  He makes it clear enough through his actions (and words) that Shouto’s ice is not cut out for this job, and while he can now switch to fire it always seems to be an uneasy moment for him.  Especially since his initial burst of heat isn’t enough to melt Tetsu, who’s been training in an oven for just such an eventuality.  Endeavor is always with Shouto in every battle whether he wants him to be or not, and such is the case here.

What a war of attrition this was, and in the end I think you’d have to call it – like the team battle – a draw.  Shouto and Tetsu basically force each other to the point of collapse, and that’s when both Iida and Juuzo step in to resume their battle of support types.  Soon enough they’re both out cold too – well, Mudman is but he’s managed to disable Ingenium in the process – leaving only Shoji and Tatsunori Pony left standing.  Tatsunori is the MVP of this match (sorry, Vlad) – she was the one who jailed Ojiro, first of all.  And now, realizing she can’t take out Shoji one on one in her current state, she carries her teammates out of harm’s way (and takes Shouto too) and waits for the clock to run out and the match to end all square.

On the one hand, the level of carnage these kids are inflicting on each other makes the whole contest seem kind of nuts (not to mention the track record of villain interference in such events), and Kacchan hasn’t even played yet.  But the kind of self-reflection it elicits in the likes of Iida and Shouto reveals that there is real educational value in it.  Iida is reminded that his quirk is one-dimensional enough that it must be absurdly strong in order for him to truly be a top hero.  And for Shouto, the habits that are so ingrained by a lifetime of abusive training are now holding him back – in order to advance he must move past that, and that means becoming more like his father.  And that, as we know, is a heavy load for him to bear.